Should Christians Be Forced To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine?

Since this episode was filmed some concerns have been raised about the possibility that aborted babies were used in the creation of one or more of the Covid-19 vaccines. We do not know how accurate or inaccurate those claims are, but we were unaware of that possibility when the question was asked.

To gain more insight into matters of conscience and how we are to go about rightly informing our consciences, consider listening to the following sermons from the Scriptures that speak directly about this:

Matters of Conscience: https://youtu.be/ZvQoDaBSQZw
Loving Those With Whom We Differ: https://youtu.be/_eTSdWmHmZw
The Mindset For Magnifying God In Our Differences: https://youtu.be/CQJtGMjCO_0
Unity In Christ's Lordship: https://youtu.be/eKmSb35Hzkw
Letting Judgement Guide Our Love: https://youtu.be/ECfGTyOVATU
Love's Good Judgement: https://youtu.be/CerWhX8krnQ
Kingdom Minded Freedom: https://youtu.be/Jh2WKh4OKD8

How should Christians respond biblically to those who seek to force us to get vaccinated for COVID-19? Shouldn’t an individual's choice to be vaccinated belong to the freedom of conscience issue? If we choose not to be vaccinated, it is sinful, is it an act of not loving our neighbor? What is the biblically right thing to do?

This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot discuss the battle of thoughts that continue to go on surrounding COVID-19. Their topic today is specifically on whether individuals should be forced to receive a vaccination against COVID-19. They seek to answer this and other questions from a biblical perspective with wisdom and principles derived from the Bible.

Firstly, Dr. Caldwell says that whether we take vaccines or not, really becomes a matter of individual choice, a matter of individual conscience decisions. Currently, in the U.S., there is not a country or nationwide mandate requiring every individual to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, under U.S. law, both government authorities and employers have the power to issue such orders. Mandates do not mean forced vaccinations. Mandates are requirements that carry penalties or denial of services for those who do not want to comply. So says Dr. Caldwell, if you are not required to take the COVID-19 vaccination, you do not have to. But if you are in a position where those in authority over you have required it for you to continue in the position you are in, then you must choose. You still have a choice. You can take the vaccine and continue in your position, or you can choose not to. In both cases, it is still your choice to make. You are not sinning if you get vaccinated, and you are not sinning if you do not. There are vaccine exemption laws in every state, and they will vary from state to state. Individuals can often opt-out of one or more vaccines for medical, religious, or personal reasons. Although these options are available but not guaranteed, Dr. Caldwell says he does not see a biblical basis for refusing to take the vaccine.

Secondly, Dr. Caldwell addresses the issue raised of loving our neighbor regarding being vaccinated against COVID-19. Some call for Christians to love their neighbors well by aiming for the common good by getting vaccinated. Dr. Caldwell says yes, Christians are to love their neighbors, but there are times where this hand is over-played. There are times when some want to enforce on others what they want to have done. They will quote this biblical truth and others, telling us that we are unloving if we do not do such and such. Dr. Caldwell says that sometimes this is just overplayed, and we have to be careful. He says there is no doubt that there is an element of loving our neighbors that must go into all our decision-making. Here though, being vaccinated is an issue of liberty and freedom. What we must not do is judge one another over it. We should be rightly informed and have all the evidence for and against the issue. In this way, we are able to make decisions with consciences that are fully informed.

Lastly, Dr. Caldwell tells us that some of us are just going to see this differently than others. We need to love each other throughout but not seek to exercise lordship over someone else's choice in the matter. It is not for us to change each other's views on vaccines. We can teach and share truths about the issue, and we can give reasons why we agree or disagree with each other. But it isn’t for us to lord over another’s conscience. Each person ought to be fully convinced in their own mind.

Видео Should Christians Be Forced To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine? канала Straight Truth Podcast